In case you haven’t heard, it is wet in Scotland. I knew this, having been there before, but coming from the relatively dry California climate, it is still quite a contrast. One thing that still takes me by surprise at first is the size of the streams and rivers that rise over short distances — and that they are everywhere. We stopped and photographed this roadside cascade as we were departing Skye to head north.
Continue reading Marsco and Waterfall
Like the brochures say, no visit to Scotland is complete without seeing the hairy highland “coos.” While coos (or, in American English, “cows”) are not my usual subject, the critters were there and I had a camera, so I made some photographs. In this case, a small herd was right next to the road north of Portree, so we paused on our daylong route out and around the end of the island to view them.
Continue reading Back-Scratching Hairy Coo Calf
Our recent travels to the British Isles began (aside from a very brief stopover in London) with a lengthy visit to Skye and the northwest of Scotland. After that first adventure we returned to Inverness and took a train to Aberdeen for a few days. After more than a week in the wild open spaces of northwest Scotland, returning to this urban setting was quite a contrast!
Continue reading Netherkirkgate
While Scotland’s Isle of Skye is, for good reason, a very popular place to visit, you can also find great views of the Isle and its mountains from along Scotland’s less-populated western coast. After our visit to Skye we headed north to Ullapool, and from there drove a long loop out to the village of Applecross. Before turning south toward that spot the route hugged the coastline, offering continuous views across the water to islands including Skye.
Continue reading Looking Toward Skye